Neck surgery for herniated disc

[maciec]

He is fortunate to have a workers comp attorney through the FOP and we have been in touch. It was actually me that set up the Dr's appointment with the neuro so we are good there (we have Dr's choice). I will tell him about the sleeping position. Did you have the chest and arm pit pain at all?

 

[ElaineMarch]

I had more tingling and numbness before surgery, but am having some pain in the arm now.

The arm on his head is not a sleeping position. Have him try while sitting.

 

[maciec]

gotcha

 

[Explodo]

I've had a Hemi-laminectomy at the C7 vert...In my case it wasn't that the proceedure was horrid (It was really painful and debilitating for about 2 months). The no lifting requirement about drove us insane.

I had the same symptoms as your husband...Weakness, pain in my neck and back...Burning in my right hand (especialy the forefinger and Miggle finger...My thumb became useless)

I got over the hurt portion with no problem, what I didn't realize was how difficult it was to get off the pain meds and muscle relaxants. The course of pain meds can really lead down a path of addictive behavior if not watched carefully. In my case, I felt I was addicted and asked for help at 2 months.

So to recap, the surgery worked wonderfully, longish recovery, but great results. Get off the pain meds asap. Get ready to be the primary lifter and laborer...my wife didn't understand that reality until she was in the middle of it which led to a certain level of resentment.

Good Luck

 

[bumcat]

I will be having two discs removed from my neck in a few weeks. Both arms and hands and neck tingle and then go to extreme pain. I am on plenty of pain meds plus 6400 mg of neurontin a day (which is insane) but not much help.
I was told surgery would be to the front of the neck and the surgery would last 3-4 hours. If all goes well I might get to go home the same day, just depends. Will have to wear a neck collar for 3 months and something about a battery thing for 4 hours a day for bone growth.

I also have issues with my lower back. He wants to try a traction machine first for that. I have other back issues that causes me not to stand or walk for very long. Tried epidural injections for over a year and it just did not work too well.

I hope your husband gets some relief.

 

[GaRain]

I woke up one morning (this was a few years back) and was in so much pain. My neck hurt and I couldn't move my right arm. Unfortunately, this was 4 days before I was to drive to Disney. Oh, I still went on the trip, but was in immense pain the whole time.
After weeks of seeing different doctors and having my records marked as I am a difficult patient after I passed out on the floor when taking xrays and they lifted my arm.....they found that I had a herniated disc at 4 to 5 and it was so bad it was pressing into my spinal cord and leaving a bruise - also why the nerves were pressed and I couldn't hardly move my right arm.
I went to a neurosurgen who said I really needed surgery. After crying for a day, I made appointments with 3 other doctors. 2 of these said right away - surgery. The last one said I could try therapy, but would end up in the surgery room after awhile anyways.
I had the surgery - through the front of my neck. The scar is barely visable cause they worked it into one of my "neck wrinkles" LOL!. The surgery was outpatient - WHAT!>? Yes, I went home that day. Everything went well, except during surgery I almost bit my tongue in half (um, wasnt someone in charge of watching that?). Recovery took about 4 weeks. I went back to work after 2, but limited myself.
My dad likes to tell people I have dead people in me - cadaver donated bones.....I still have a thumb that is "asleep" most of the time, and due to the nerve damage, may not be normal again.

 

[ols386]

Following this thread closely as I'm having extreme neck problems as well. Mine started a couple of years ago, several x-rays, 3 rounds of PT, and had an MRI last Friday. Waiting on results of the MRI. Pain is just to the right of my spine on the back of my neck, stabbing pains (like a needle being stabbed into my neck), sometimes a buring sensation, and all the time deep-muscle pain. Taking Neurontin (900 mg/day), and Baclofen (60 mg/day), but still having a lot of pain. I hate to say it, but I'm almost wishing that this will be something that can be resolved with surgery...because it's really wearing on me to be in pain every. single. day.

Thanks for posting this, op. And I hope your dh can get some pain relief and get this resolved quickly. I feel for him.

 

[TheSweetLife]

I had a cervical discectomy in Sept of 08. I hurt my neck doing some bedroom aerobics ( and I am still teased mercilessly to this day) in March of that same year. I went to my primary who prescribed PT where I tried exercises and cervical traction from March to June. I had corizone shots directly into the spine with no relief. I had to sleep upright in a recliner with my left arm over my head. My left arm was always numb and I started to lose use of my left hand. It was starting to atrophy and when I burned my fingers on a hot pan and didn't feel it my primary sent me to an Orthopedic Dr and a Nerosurgeon. After and MRI I had a consultation by the Ortho on a Tuesday and he told me I was having surgery that Friday.

I had an anterior cervical discectomy using cadaver bone in C5/6. It was an easy operation. 1 1/2 hours and I stayed in the sugery center for about 23 hours. I don't handle anesthesia very well so that was an issue for me. I was released and wore a c collar for 8 weeks. ( I was the maid of honor for my sister's wedding and took it off to walk down the aisle and for pictures. ) Surgery was an instant relief for me. I couldn't believe how instant the relief actually was. Seriously was knocked out miserable and crying and woke up with just the "surgery" to recover from. I have full range movement and did not need PT after surgery.

Because I was taking Flexeril and Tramadol for pain before the surgery I requested the same meds for after. I took them for about 4 days and was fine after that. I could return to work in 2 weeks but because of the c collar I had to have a driver. Thankfully I have a GREAT boss who picked me up and took me home. My scar is so faded you have to look pretty hard to find it.

Good luck to you and your husband!

 

[Jennasis]

My discectopmy was outpatient as well.

 

[johnsontrio]

Wanted to throw out a word of caution which I'm sure some DIS experts will have issue with. I have many years neuro ICU experience and 8 years working in Interventional Radiology doing cerebral angiograms, and all the neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists I have worked with would tell you do not allow a chiropractor to manipulate your neck. There is a traumatic injury called Carotid Artery Dissection which can be life threatening and it can be caused on occasion solely by manual manipulation of your neck. OP, there is no reason for your DH to see a chiropractor. He has MRI documented severe herniation which cannot be corrected by a chiropractor. Most neurosurgeons would tell you chiropractic medicine is fine for the lower back, but not the neck.

Hope he gets some relief soon.

 

[ols386]

Wanted to throw out a word of caution which I'm sure some DIS experts will have issue with. I have many years neuro ICU experience and 8 years working in Interventional Radiology doing cerebral angiograms, and all the neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists I have worked with would tell you do not allow a chiropractor to manipulate your neck. There is a traumatic injury called Carotid Artery Dissection which can be life threatening and it can be caused on occasion solely by manual manipulation of your neck. OP, there is no reason for your DH to see a chiropractor. He has MRI documented severe herniation which cannot be corrected by a chiropractor. Most neurosurgeons would tell you chiropractic medicine is fine for the lower back, but not the neck.

Hope he gets some relief soon.

I'm no medical expert, but I agree. I would not go to a chiropractor. I would be afraid of even more damage/injury being done. JMO

 

[horseshowmom]

That's fantastic! Unfortunately, I couldn't get him to go to a chiropractor if you paid him. For another type of injury to his back - maybe, but not for a neck injury.

I had neck surgery in May of last year. When I woke up in recovery, I could immediately tell the difference. I took a couple of the pain pills just to be sure but had no significant pain. I continued to improve for 6 to 8 weeks, and then it seemed like I wasn't getting any better. I had PT, but it really seemed to make things worse.

Over the last 8 to 10 months, my condition has worsened. I have pain and weakness in my left arm (and sometimes in my right - which is a new symptom). I also have neck pain. A new MRI shows that my neck hasn't fused (I did wear a bone growth stimulator), that I have developed a large bone spur due to the lack of fusion, and the disk above the surgery site is now bulging. The doctor thinks I'll have to have repeat surgery soon, but my concern is that it didn't work last time so it might not work this time.

 

[ols386]

I had neck surgery in May of last year. When I woke up in recovery, I could immediately tell the difference. I took a couple of the pain pills just to be sure but had no significant pain. I continued to improve for 6 to 8 weeks, and then it seemed like I wasn't getting any better. I had PT, but it really seemed to make things worse.

Over the last 8 to 10 months, my condition has worsened. I have pain and weakness in my left arm (and sometimes in my right - which is a new symptom). I also have neck pain. A new MRI shows that my neck hasn't fused (I did wear a bone growth stimulator), that I have developed a large bone spur due to the lack of fusion, and the disk above the surgery site is now bulging. The doctor thinks I'll have to have repeat surgery soon, but my concern is that it didn't work last time so it might not work this time.

So did the surgeon fuse the two vertabra together? The two where the disc was ruptured (I'm assuming??)?

Wonder why they didn't fuse together. Don't they completely fuse it during surgery?

So sorry that you might be facing surgery again.

 

[wvjules]

Wow all of these symptoms sounds like the 2 pinched nerves DBF has in his neck. He has constant pain in his left arm, his fingers are tingly, numb and burning. He's been on two rounds of cortisone pills, goes to PT, and takes vicoden, valium and ibuprofiren daily. He's been in PT for a month and it hasn't done anything. His therapist actually told him that its time for the next step because what he is doing isn't working. He's tried dry needling too.

Before we had the diagnosis he had me take him to the ER at 3am because he was in so much pain. They gave him Morphine and toradol and they didn't do anything for the pain.

He feels great while in traction but once he releases it the pain immediately comes back. He can't sleep, he's only comfortable briefly while in traction and sitting/laying down with his arm above his head. He can't work either. It's awful. Next Friday he gets his first cortisone injection. He's actully at the point of begging for them. (He is a needle phobe too. Actually passed out last time he got an IV.) I pray that this works.

This happened out of the blue. No injury that we can think of happened. He just woke up that way...on his 40th birthday no less!

I hope we don't have to go the surgery route but reading this gives me an idea of what he's up against.

ETA: AT PT they did a strength test and his PSI on his good arm grip is 60something. It is 38 on his left hand.

 

[maciec]

I'm not sure what to quite think today. he said today that the pain is not nearly as bad as it has been.he says he feels pretty good. he is testing his muscle strength by trying to do pushups and lifting our 90 pound daughter. I could kill him! it does give him hope that he will not have to have surgery and that he can do this with physical therapy. UGH!

 

[johnsontrio]

Forgot to answer your question...

My first bout with arm pain was a year earlier and since I have had a trigger point in my lower back that needs an occasional injection, I called my pain doctor who injected the nerve root with Kenalog and Marcaine under fluoroscopy and the symptoms resolved pretty quickly. Then a year later the arm pain came back and was extreme. The only position in which my arm didn't hurt was pulled tightly into my body like a sling. I couldn't even unload the dishwasher the pain was so severe. The discs were probably herniated at the time of the first episode, but I didn't get any diagnostic studies done. After the MRI, when I got the second opinion, the doctor said that after 2 episodes he thought surgery was indicated because looking at the films, I would definitely have another flare up and there would be no telling when.

Most doctors feel that when you haven't gotten relief from conservative therapy and there is nerve damage or loss of function, that surgery is indicated. If the nerve damage persists, it will become permanent, as many PP's have indicated.

 

[horseshowmom]

So did the surgeon fuse the two vertabra together? The two where the disc was ruptured (I'm assuming??)?

Wonder why they didn't fuse together. Don't they completely fuse it during surgery?

So sorry that you might be facing surgery again.

Thanks for the kind words. It's really frustrating.

Concerning the fusion, the artificial disc was put in place with a metal plate. Over time, it should have healed over (similar to a healing fracture). Unfortunately, in my case that didn't happen.

OP, I'd like to add my agreement regarding chiropractors. While he did help my lower back, I believe that he made my neck worse. The problem was already there (due to whiplash and another injury), but I honestly think it was worsened by treatment.

 

[maciec]

It really scares me about him going to see a chiropractor for his neck which is why he's not going. I absolutely agree with you that if it was a lower back issue I'd be ok with it, but not for his neck.

 

[maciec]

UPDATE!

Went to the neurosurgeon yesterday and LOVED her! We spent an hour with her and she explained everything to us and answered all of our questions. She gave him the option to try physical therapy with the hopes that he could work the disc back in. She said that since he is still young there is a possibility that it could. However, he is a perfect candidate for surgery. She said that if after 2 weeks of physical therapy he wasn't seeing any improvement that he probably wasn't going to and that she would schedule him. She said that they surgery was a 2hr surgery and that she would go through the front and end up doing a fusion. She said that he would lose a very minimal amount of range of motion (not be able to bring his chin all the way to his chest). She put him on Lyrica and a once a day low dose of morphine so that he could sleep. She is allowing him to go back to work for 4 hours a day (he's a paper pusher during the winter) to start. Keeping our fingers crossed that physical therapy works! He goes back in 2 weeks for a re-check.

thanks everyone for your support and sharing your experiences. It has really helped!

 

[maciec]

HELP PLEASE!

So the Lyrica is apparently working so well that dh thinks that he's all better! He was on the floor this morning trying to do a push up (which he couldn't do) and said that it's just muscle strength and he needs to work on that and he will be better. His new traction device hasn't come in yet at the PT office and won't until Tuesday they think. I don't know what to do with him. I am very concerned that the Lyrica is just masking his condition and could actually do more harm than good. Please tell me about these nerve blockers and what they do and don't do and any experiences you have had with them!

I am so frustrated with him I can't see straight!